Customer Reviews

The Wisdom of Maimonides: The Life and Writings of the Jewish Sage

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This brilliant overview gives the reader not only a thorough understanding of the works of Maimonides, but gets to know him as an intimate friend. We become aware not only of the magic of his thinking, his depth of scientific understanding and his phenomenal contributions to our world this many centuries later, but, as as a friend, a colleague, a neighbor, as a full human being. I sat there, reading, totally entranced, not able to put the book down, my only regret being when it ended, though my "appetite" had been more than fully sated. I recommend it for all. It is a true "must."
Marcella Bakur Weiner Ph.D.

this is a decent introduction to Maimonides as a person and a thinker. however, if one is already familiar with Pirkei Avoth, one is already way ahead of the game. could use considerably more depth, and especially analysis. what were his contributions to thought? Jewish thought? Gentile? where is he controversial? what are the implications of the sayings? discussion? comparable or competing thinkers?

Dr. Ed Hoffman never disappoints. His writing career has included one superb book after another. It is obvious to all of his readers that he has many gifts, not the least of which is his extraordinary ability to make abstract ideas so clear and down to earth. He also has the eye of a scholar and great passion for his subject. This book is a gem!

There is merit to this very short work, 170 pages. There is a brief biography, some stories about his medical practice which are of unstated
reliability. The rear jacket says that Maimonides' actual feelings about Judaism as a belief system is uncertain, though his affection for the community and the system of thinking are definite. The affection he had for science as pure thought aside from medical practice is not examined. My personal belief that he anticipated Darwin by 650 years is not touched upon. There is exceptionally brief discussion of Mishneh Torah is misleading, as anyone who has read the whole work will recognize. I cannot speak of Guide as I have tried but could not read it as the print is so small. His examination of Judaism and Aristotle is discussed, though the dictum that knowledge is knowledge, no matter where it comes from is more an example of his thoughts than the words of M. Torah. There is a list of works with very brief extrations from them.

To one unfamiliar with Maimonides this is a pretty good introduction,though the extracts from M. Torah are misleading.

Mr. Hoffman could have put out a much better work. His concession to brevity makes this effort a bit disappointing.